Business cards cost in Luxembourg (2026)

A €200 design quoted net becomes €234 once TVA 17 % is added. Print invoices frequently list gross only — ask for the HT and TVA lines in writing so the bookkeeping input-TVA claim is straightforward.

Format drivers:

• Design complexity — a front-only layout on an existing identity takes 2 to 4 hours; a fresh identity front-and-back takes 6 to 10 hours
• Paper weight — 350 gsm is the professional standard; 600 gsm duplex signals premium and costs 80–120 % more on the print side
• Finish — matte lamination adds 10–15 %; spot UV, embossing or foil add 40–90 %
• Print run — 500 cards is the sweet spot; 250 is only 25 % cheaper than 500; 1 000 is only 30 % more

A €120 card and a €400 card differ by the hours the designer invests in brief, options and refinement, not by the print price.

The five drivers that matter:

• Existing brand versus new identity. Using a brand guide the client already owns cuts design time in half. Starting from scratch doubles the brief, research and moodboard phase.
• Number of iterations. A standard fee covers three rounds of revision; extra rounds are billed hourly. Creative briefs that request "just show me ten options" always land in the top third of the range.
• Language count. Cards in French, German, English and Luxembourgish mean four typographic layouts — the hyphenation and string lengths differ and the designer must test each version.
• QR codes and vCard integration. Clean vCard encoding and a scan-tested QR add €30–€60 of designer time; it becomes a real cost when the card needs to hand off to a CRM.
• File handover scope. Print-ready PDF/X-4 only, or also editable AI/INDD files? Handing over editable sources costs €80–€150 more but removes lock-in.

Designer quotes for business cards are short documents — read them carefully because scope is thin on both sides.

Included in a typical €220 front-and-back design fee:

• One moodboard round (2–3 reference directions)
• Two design directions presented as mock-ups
• Three revision rounds on the selected direction
• Print-ready PDF/X-4 export at 300 dpi with bleed
• One language (usually English or French)
• 30-day warranty on file corrections post-delivery

Usually not included — expect a separate line:

• Logo creation — €180–€650 extra if no identity exists
• Additional languages — €40–€80 per extra language layout
• Editable source files (AI/INDD) — €80–€150
• vCard QR coding with scan test — €40–€80
• Printing coordination — €60–€120 handling fee if the designer manages the print run directly
• Post-delivery changes (new phone number, change of address) after the 30-day window — hourly rate

Red flags:

• No revision cap — either the designer loses money or bills open-ended hourly at the end
• No format specification — PDF for print and PNG for digital are both needed
• No bleed or safety-margin mention in the brief — a card exported without 3 mm bleed is usually rejected by the printer

The TVA line, the delivery promise and the colour consistency across three print routes are very different economics.

Route 1 — Local LU printer (€140–€260 for 500 coated cards):

• TVA 17 % on a Luxembourg invoice, deductible as input TVA for a SARL
• Proofs you can touch before printing — crucial for foil, UV or uncoated papers
• Turnaround 5 to 8 working days
• Supports local print shops employing declared staff under ITM and collective labour agreement

Route 2 — Online low-cost printer (€80–€180 for 500 coated cards):

• 20 to 35 % cheaper than local equivalent
• Belgian or German print shops invoice TVA 21 % BE or 19 % DE — or apply reverse-charge if you supply your LU TVA number
• No tactile proof, colour drifts are common on uncoated or spot-colour jobs
• Delivery window 3 to 5 working days including transport

Route 3 — In-house desktop print (€0,25–€0,50 per card):

• Only viable for 50–100 last-minute cards before a meeting
• Colour accuracy limited, edge trimming never clean
• Suitable for interim cards while the real order runs

Recommendation for professional use: Route 1 with a local shop, TVA-deductible, tactile proof, consistent runs. Route 2 only for repeat orders where the colour baseline is already locked.

Design and printing services on business cards are taxed at the TVA standard 17 % in Luxembourg with no access to the super-reduced 3 % rate. The rate applies to both the designer fee and the local print invoice.

Rate in practice:

• LU designer invoicing a LU business: TVA 17 %, deductible for the client
• LU designer invoicing a private individual: TVA 17 %, non-deductible
• Belgian or German designer/printer invoicing a LU business: reverse-charge — the LU client self-assesses and declares input and output TVA on the same line
• Online FR/BE/DE printer invoicing a LU private individual: that country's retail TVA applies (21 % BE, 20 % FR, 19 % DE)

What a compliant invoice shows:

• Designer or printer TVA number, name and address
• Net amount per line (design, print, shipping)
• TVA line at 17 %, or reverse-charge mention for cross-border B2B
• Description of services and deliverables
• Payment terms

Rate comparison on a €520 net package:

Never engage a designer who refuses to issue a compliant invoice — that designer is operating in the informal economy, TVA exposure sits with the client and no design warranty stands.

Graphic-design quotes for cards differ more by scope than by hourly rate. A shared brief pulls three quotes into a narrow band.

The six checks that matter:

• Autorisation d'établissement (LU) or equivalent registration (BE, DE, FR). Verify on the Ministère de l'Économie register. Unregistered "designers" carry no warranty and cannot issue compliant invoices.
• Portfolio with brand systems, not just cards. Ten random cards tell you the designer can execute; three brand systems show the designer can think strategically.
• Revision cap. Two to three rounds is standard. Open-ended revision hides the real cost.
• Source-file clause. Who owns the editable AI/INDD? Standard LU practice hands source files to the client on final payment.
• Print coordination. If the designer handles the print run, ask for the markup percentage — 10–20 % is standard, 40 %+ is not.
• Timeline and late-delivery clause. A 10-working-day target with a 5 % penalty per week of delay is fair.

A clean briefing pack:

• Logo and brand assets (or explicit statement that none exist)
• Copy for the card in every required language
• Professional qualifications to display (RCS number, Autorisation d'établissement, chamber membership)
• Print quantity target and paper preference
• Delivery deadline
• Budget range — disclosed up front

Designers quoting on the same pack fall within ±20 % on price and ±2 days on timeline. Larger spreads trace back to scope misreading — worth a call before selecting.